This week we profile Untapped Cities intern, Anthony Falco, a graduate student at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. His pastimes include rugby, watching film and just traveling around the city.
What’s your favorite Untapped spot in your city?
It definitely has to be Carl Schurz Park: as a person that has spent a decent amount of time writing about the Upper East Side, I also exercised there. One of the best places to run has to be the park located right next to the East River: between the crowds of people, the beautiful landscape and the water, it is just a sight to behold.
Favorite piece you’ve written for Untapped: What’s the most memorable thing that happened while writing for Untapped Cities?
My favorite piece by far has to be about the Lott House in Brooklyn. Being a Marine Park native, I’ve always known about the famous farmhouse that may have been a stop on the Underground Railroad. Not many people know about this place, but everyone should because it is my neighborhood’s hidden gem.
What’s the most surprising and/or valuable thing you’ve learned while at Untapped Cities?
I learned that there used to be a tunnel connecting the New Yorker Hotel and Penn Station. It is something that both shocked and fascinated me.
What’s your favorite Untapped place you’ve visited while traveling? Where do you want to visit next?
While visiting Bermuda, I got to see the historic Royal Naval Dockyard: built over 200 years ago, it was a major base for the British Royal Navy, with it serving as an important port as late as World War II. After, the country decided to turn it into a tourist attraction, but instead of knocking the base down, they built shops into it: so while it is a little tacky, you can still go into the old courtyard and marvel at the architecture, which looks amazing for how old it is. As for where I want to go next, I’ve never been to Europe, so that will have to be done soon.
What’s your favorite obscure fact about your city?
While this sounds extremely morbid, over a million bodies are buried on Hart Island: for years, the city has been burying unclaimed corpses in mass graves.
Craziest thing you’ve ever done?
In Bermuda, there is a famous beach called Horseshoe Bay. A few friends and I climbed a 20-foot rock and jumped off into shallow water: in hindsight, not the best idea, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Best Celebrity Sighting?
I saw Ron Perlman and Alan Rickman on the same Manhattan block in less than an hour. There really is not a story behind this, but both were extremely nice.
